Irfan Pathan wants selectors to keep past contributions in mind. (PTI Photo)
The Indian cricket squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup will be revealed by May 1st.
With the India squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup set to be unveiled soon, former allrounder Irfan Pathan has advised the selection committee to avoid recency bias when finalising the players for the marquee event.
Pathan feels that IPL 2024 shouldn’t be the sole consideration to adjudge a player’s form and they must look into their past performances too.
“When you’re in a selection committee, you shouldn’t forget a player’s previous contributions for India, even before the IPL,” Pathan said on Star Sports.
“You should never forget that, and I’m not referring to events from too far back. This should always be taken into consideration. Just because some players are performing well in the IPL, it doesn’t mean they should automatically be selected,” he added.
Pathan cited his own example when he was dropped from the team after getting injured but the practice changed for good later on when Wriddhiman Saha was given a chance despite missing a year of cricket due to injury.
“I was part of the Indian team, when Cheeka (Kris Srikkanth) sir was a selector. I got injured and was dropped from the team after that, despite having played for India,” Pathan said. “I have no qualms at all… but I’m saying, at that time, the situation was different. The mindset, perhaps of the captain or the selection committee, was different. But let’s talk about the 2010s. Wriddhiman Saha was literally out of the team for a year due to injury. When he recovered, he returned to the squad and made it into the Playing XI after a year.”
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Pathan said in international cricket, each team will be fielding experienced bowlers in their playing XI unlike in IPL where there could be one-two uncapped whom batters can deal with easily.
“In the IPL, there are always one or two uncapped bowlers who can be easily smacked due to small grounds and flat pitches,” Pathan said. “However, international cricket is a different beast altogether. You’ll have five bowlers, each with a significant number of matches under their belt before entering the World Cup, bringing in tons of experience. You’ll be up against top-quality bowlers like Mitchell Starc. While Starc’s performance in the IPL may differ, you’ll still be facing top-quality bowlers. For instance, from Sri Lanka, you might face someone like Pathirana. But you’ll also have the other four bowlers, who are top-quality performers. So, don’t overlook their contributions. While considering recent performances is important, remember their achievements for the Indian team before the IPL as well.”
